Balancing Human Connection and Technology for Impact

Gaku Nakamura, Co-Founder and CEO, RareJob

My entrepreneurial journey was deeply influenced by my childhood experience in Egypt. There, I was exposed to different cultures and learned English, which led to my desire to work with people from overseas. As I progressed through university and into my career, I became increasingly certain that the more opportunities I had to speak English, the more my speaking ability would improve. When Skype was introduced, I saw it as a tool to connect people domestically and internationally, creating numerous opportunities to speak English. This idea fueled my desire to start my own business. My love for innovation and creating something new that could bring about change has driven me to where I am now.

Holistic Metrics Guide Strategic Decisions

In making decisions, I prioritize reviewing business metrics first. Then, I analyze market and economic trends, forming hypotheses about what the future may hold. Based on this, I evaluate the current state of the organization and make decisions that account for all factors. To complement quantitative data, I make sure to collect qualitative insights as well. I expose myself to a variety of services, listen to customer feedback, and speak with business leaders who are succeeding in similar fields. This allows me to gather a broad spectrum of real-time, hands-on information. By continuously refining my understanding of the market from multiple angles, I can better predict future trends and guide the organization accordingly. This holistic approach ensures that my decisions are well-rounded and based on both hard data and intuitive insights.

Value-Driven Technology and Human-AI Collaboration

Technology continues to evolve, and buzzwords come and go, but I always focus on the essence. Technology is not the goal; it’s simply a tool to achieve what we want to accomplish. With this perspective, I always ask myself what we want to achieve and create, and then I select the most appropriate technology to make that a reality. This approach allows us to avoid getting swept up in overly hyped technologies and focus on what truly creates value.

“Technology is not the goal; it’s simply a tool to achieve what we want to accomplish”

While AI-powered learning sounds appealing and efficient, especially when it comes to content delivery, the reality is that only a small group of people can complete such programs. Most people end up giving up because learning solely through AI is hard to sustain. Therefore, it’s important to incorporate game-like elements or have human involvement to provide motivation. By combining AI with human interaction, we can create an environment that helps more people continue learning and ultimately achieve effective results. This is why I emphasize "human and AI collaboration" and strive to build solutions that produce meaningful outcomes.

Local Talent and Focus Key for Global Growth

When building cross-border platforms in education or HR development, entrepreneurs need to maintain a global perspective while clearly defining their core value proposition. At the same time, adapting to each local market through localization is necessary for success. To do this effectively, it’s crucial to hire the right local talent and make sure the product fits the needs of each market.

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